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THEY SAID IT AS DOOMSAYERS CIRCLE, VIACOM SHUFFLES EXECS Key veterans depart as media company takes incoming fi re from analyst Juenger “From the moment I started talking to TOP EXECUTIVES last week left VH1 and MTV, whose falling Michael [Lombardo, viewership has one analyst developing a negative scenario HBO president of about the future of their parent company, Viacom. Tom Calderone, president of VH1, left the network that he programming] and had led for seven years. Chris McCarthy was named the new Richard [Plepler, HBO general manager of the channel, which was down 19% in view- chairman and CEO], it ers in the second quarter. McCarthy had been running MTV2 was hard to imagine and Logo, two Viacom networks that have been growing. being anywhere else.” At sister network MTV, Susanne Daniels left her post as president of programming, where she helped launch well- McCarthy Lefevre —Bill Simmons on regarded shows including Finding Carter and Scream. MTV July 22, following the announcement promoted Mina Lefevre to executive VP and head of scripted development, while Daniels becomes VP of originals that the former ESPN at YouTube, one of the digital rivals drawing young viewers away from MTV. personality had It’s a tough time to be a cable programmer, with cord-cutters peeling off subscribers and a soft ad market. The inked a multiplat- digital disruption at MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and other Viacom channels led one analyst to draw a particularly omi- form deal with HBO to host a weekly nous comparison between the media company and Eastman Kodak, whose camera and fi lm business disappeared. sports talk show. Todd Juenger of Sanford C. Bernstein, hardly the only Wall Street skeptic on Viacom, expects the company’s earnings to cycle lower and lower. In a report provocatively titled “Is Viacom the Next Eastman Kodak?” Juenger wrote that instead of buying back stock, Viacom could have acquired assets including Lionsgate, AMC Networks or Maker Studios. “This story didn’t have to play out like this.” —Jon Lafayette

KOTB, PHILBIN TO COHOST PART ONE OF B&C HALL OF FAME GALA STATOF REGIS PHILBIN AND Kathie Lee Gifford are reuniting...at least THEWEEK briefl y. Philbin and Today cohost Hoda Kotb have been tapped to cohost the fi rst part of the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Kotb Fame gala, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. 2 BILLION Gifford is among this year’s 12 honorees, joining such notables Number of Twitter as Walt Disney Co. chief Bob Iger and Phil McGraw. impressions generated A host for the second part of the celebration, slated for Oct. 20 by Syfy’s Sharknado 3: at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria, has yet to be announced. Oh Hell No!, which For more information on the B&C Hall of Fame, which is part premiered July 22. of NYC Television Week, go to bchalloffame.com. —B&C staff Philbin

VidCon took over Anaheim, Calif., last week, as well as the Twitterverse. Some highlights:

Frank “‘The most important part about the reinvention of television is the social part of YouTube,’ says @susanwojcicki. #vidcon2015” DIRECTV-AT&T MERGER @jeffjarvis, journalist and BuzzMachine blogger, tweeted July 23. GETS THE GREEN LIGHT “‘All the data in the world can’t tell you what to make, but The FCC on July 24 approved the proposed $49 billion DirecTV/AT&T merger, which would bring total subscribers it can help you make choices’ - @zefrank #VIDCON2015” for the combined entity to 26 million. But the commission has @earnestp, Earnest Pettie, head of curation, F Comedy at Fusion, tweeted July 23 a few conditions, which it had not outlined in detail at press during Ze Frank’s keynote. time. Take a look at the breakdown below of the main caveats. AT&T-DirecTV “when i hug youtubers at #VidCon, i squeeze tight ■ Must expand Fiber to the Premises service to 12.5 million and whisper, ’this hug is from your fans at home who customer locations. couldn’t come’” ■ Provide gigabit service to e-rate-eligible schools and libraries @tyleroakley, YouTube star ■ Prohibited from discriminating against online video distribution services. ■ Required to offer discounted broadband services to low-

Syfy; Mike Coppola/NBC; Andrew Eccles/NBC Andrew Coppola/NBC; Mike Syfy; income customers.

BROADCASTINGCABLE.COM JULY 27, 2015 BROADCASTING & CABLE 3

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